Open Plains

When we exited the bathroom I saw Dr. Williams sitting on the end of my bed and my parents were sitting in some chairs, they were talking but stopped when we came out. They all turned and looked at us smiling.

"Thanks, John we can take it from here." Said Dr. Williams.

"Ok doc, see you tomorrow Billy," John said squeezing my shoulder. I just nodded my head not saying anything. After John left Dr. Williams shut the door, I wheeled myself over to the bed and tried to get in by myself but it was to high up. My dad got up and tried to help but I shrugged him off he just sighed and sat back down not knowing what else to do.

Dr. Williams came to help and I tried to shrug him off as well but he wouldn't let me.

"Listen Billy the bed is too high for you to get up on your own so you have to let one of us help and that is all there is." He said. I just pointed to the door. "No, John is gone so you are going to let one of us help you or just sit in the chair." He said. I just sat back and turned away from them.

Dr. Williams turned me back around.

"Billy you are going to listen to us whether you want to or not. I know you're mad and you don't want to talk but like it or not you don't have a choice. Your parents are here so they can listen to what you have to say about what they did and you can listen to what they have to say and how they feel. You may not want to but this is going to help you all.

We are going to do a few family sessions then you and I are going to talk alone about what you are going through being in a wheelchair and all." He said. I just stared at them and tried and turn my left side to them so I couldn't hear what they had to say but Dr. Williams stopped me. "No Billy, not this time. You are going to listen to us." He said.

I just shut my eyes and tuned them out. Dr. Williams was trying to say something but I just let my mind wander and not hear them, finally, I felt someone shake my shoulder hard, I opened my eyes and saw Dr. Williams looking down at me.

"I told you that you are going to listen to what they have to say, Billy. We are not here to hurt you, you have already been through enough hell but you have a family that loves you and wants you back in there life. You can try and tune us out all you want but I won't let you do that. You have to do this, if not then you won't like what the other options are.

"If you're wondering what they are they can be anywhere from being institutionalized to being put in foster care and never seeing your family again. Do you want that? I don't think you do. I understand that you want to punish them for hurting you but it has been long enough. For 6 ½ months, you were in a coma, for the first two to three weeks no one was sure if you were going to live or not. At one point they even called in a priest for last rights that is how close to death you came.

"Your parents have suffered knowing they caused this, and now is the time to try and get past all of this and to help you on the road to recovery. Now do you want to start first and tell them what you are feeling towards them and all that they have done to hurt you?" he asked.

I just continued to stare at him but he wouldn't back down. I just shook my head and looked away.

"Ok, then Mr. and Mrs. Matthews why don't you start." He said turning my wheelchair around to face them. I just looked down and wouldn't meet their gaze.

My father started. "Billy we are so sorry, we didn't... no I mean I didn't mean to hit you. When you told us you were gay I was shocked. Even though we had that talk and all I was still shocked and I didn't know what to do. I am so sorry for doing that. Over the last 6 ½ months I have been to parenting classes and have seen a therapist as well. He has been helping me to accept that you are gay, and that I have to learn to think more clearly.

Billy, I do love you so much and I am sorry for hurting you. When you got hit I was so scared that I was going to lose you that I cried almost every night. I didn't stop crying until the first time you woke up then I knew you were going to be all right. I held your head in my lap on the street right after you got hit and prayed that not only that you would live but that you would forgive me. God is great and he has answered my prayers so far, I even went to church and talked with the pastor there. I left and went to another church and the pastor there helped me understand myself and has helped me understand God's love for everyone.

Billy, I really don't know what else to say but I'm sorry and please forgive me?" he asked crying. I didn't say anything or even look up.

"Good that's a good start, Mr. Matthews. Billy, what do you think?' He asked. I just kept looking down and shrugged my shoulder. "Ok Mrs. Matthews you're next." Dr. William's said.

"Billy I really don't know what to say, except I'm sorry too. I was in shock and I didn't try and stop your father either. I should have but I didn't, we should have seen that something was wrong by the way that you were acting and should have known that something was up, but we didn't and for that, I am so sorry Billy.

When you told us you were gay I was so shocked that I couldn't say anything and when your father hit you and told you to get out, I just didn't know what to do. I've been seeing a therapist and the preacher as well. Billy, I have learned so much from them and I am sorry as well. Please forgive me, forgive us. We love you, Billy." She said.

"Yes, we love you son." Said, my dad.

"Well Billy you have heard what they have to say and they are sorry for what they have done is there anything you want to say?" Dr. Williams asked me.

I thought about it for a minute and still didn't know what to say. I don't know what to feel, I just shrugged my shoulders and shook my head. I grabbed the wheels on the wheelchair and turned around. I wheeled myself out of the room and down the hall.

Once there I just stared out the window not knowing what to say. How can you respond to something like that? My parents are sorry for what they did, but still, they hurt me, how can I forgive that?

While I was sitting there thinking I felt someone come up next to me, I turned my head up expecting to see Dr. William's or one of my parents. But I didn't. Who I saw there couldn't really be there. I think I went into shock and so did the other person when he looked down and saw me.

The next thing I knew I was waking up in my bed with Dr. Bradshaw standing over me with a pin light looking in my eyes.

"What happened?" I asked. I think the doctor was shocked that I even talked to him. He smiled at that.

"Well young man you gave us a scare. You rolled yourself down the hall to the window and a few minutes later we heard a thud and a clatter and found you and another young man on the floor with your wheelchair flipped over." He said.

"Oh my God, he's real? Where's Darren? I have to see him." I said trying to get up, the doctor pushed me back down.

"Hold up young man you aren't going anywhere. You hit your head pretty hard, I don't think you have a concussion but still, you don't need to be getting up any time soon." He said. I ignored him and tried again and fell back on my back.

"Damn it, doctor, I have to see him. You don't understand, I have to see him please." I begged. The doctor looked at me for a minute then helped me in my wheelchair with my father's help, this time I didn't refuse. Once in they wheeled me out of my room and next door to HIS room.

As they wheeled me in I saw him lying there and looking at the door. The doctor stopped at the door and I tried to push myself further in, the doctor got the hint and wheeled me right next to his bed.

"Darren?" I asked with hope. He smiled at me.

"Billy?" he said with surprise. "How?" he asked.

"I don't know I can't believe you're real," I said, he just smiled at me and we stared at each other.

A throat cleared itself. "Umm boys do you mind telling us what happened." The doctor said.

Darren and I just stared at each for a minute.

"When I was in the coma I dreamed I was on the hill I used to go to all the time looking out over the open plains, then out of nowhere he comes and joins me. We sit for a while and when I ask him his name he tells me, Darren Anderson," I said.

Darren picks up from there. "And he tells me his name is Billy Matthews. I still can't believe your real. How long have you been here?" he asked me.

I looked down then up at him again.

"6 ½ months, I just woke up a few days ago, what about you?" I asked.

He smiled at me. "I was shot about a week ago. Wow, we were in the same dream I wonder what that means." He said smiling at me.

When he told me he was shot I started crying, everyone noticed this but before anyone could react Darren grabbed my hand.

"Hey man don't worry I'm not sore any more or anything, it doesn't even really hurt that much, but thanks for caring." He said taking my hand in his.

I looked up at him and smiled.

"Thanks. I didn't know if you were real or not, I'm glad you are, you were so nice and I liked you and I was hoping we could be friends." I said.

Darren smiled at me again and nodded his head.

"Yeah, I'd like that. Why are you in here anyways?" he asked. I looked at him then down I didn't know what to say, I grabbed the wheels of my chair to go but something stopped it, and then I heard my dads voice.

"Well Darren you see 6 ½ months ago my son told me something about himself and I was so shocked I hit him and told him to get out. He ran out of the house and was hit by a car. Because of my stupidity my son is now paralyzed from the waist down and is deaf in his left ear." My dad said.

Wow, my dad just came out and told the truth. I looked up at my dad with astonishment and tears in my eyes he looked down at me.

"I love you son and I am sorry." He said with his own tears. I grabbed his hand and he came and knelt in front of me.

"I'm sorry for acting like an ass to you and mom and I guess I do forgive you and her and I love you both," I said crying on his shoulder while hugging him. My mom came up to us and I hugged her too. After a few minutes, I turned back to Darren and saw him with tears in his eyes as well. He smiled at me and took my hand.

"My dad shot me after I told him I was gay. He's in jail now and can't hurt me. I'm glad that you have your father and mother Billy, all I have now is my mother." He said breaking down and crying. I grabbed his hand and held it.

"I'm gay too Darren. We can be friends and help each other through this. What do ya say?" I asked. Darren just looked at me and nodded his head. He got up very carefully and hugged me and I hugged him back.

"Darren I don't know you but if you want I can try and help you whenever you need or want to do something that you need a father for ok. I will talk with your mom about it." Dad said.

Wow, I couldn't believe that my dad just said this to Darren and he doesn't even know him. Darren looked at my dad with tears in his eyes and hugged him, and then my mom hugged him. About that time Darren's mom came in.

"What's going on?" she asked. We broke apart and Darren looked at his mom and smiled.

"Mom remember that dream I told you about where I was on the hill looking over an open plain and I met a boy there named Billy Matthews?" he asked her as she came over to him and hugged him.

"Yes what about it?" she asked. Darren smiled at me and took my hand.

"Mom meet Billy Matthews." He said. Mrs. Anderson looked at me then at Darren.

"What!" she said.

"It's true mom, we met in the hall, we both passed out from fright, then when we came too Billy made them bring him here, he's in the room next door." He said smiling at her. Mrs. Anderson turned to me.

"Is it really you?" she asked me.

"Yes ma'am it is," I replied. I introduced her to my parents, I asked if I could sit on Darren's bed with him and the doctor helped me up there after Darren scooted over. While Darren and I were in the bed talking his mom and my parents were talking. They told each other each of our stories and how we ended up in the hospital. I felt myself starting to get tired and leaned back, Darren yawed as well and turned over. Somehow he helped me on to my left side, he scooted up behind me in a spoon position with his one arm under my head and the other around my waist, and my right arm covering his right arm. We slowly drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

We didn't awaken until the next morning in the same position, as we fell asleep in. The nurse coming in with our breakfast woke us.

"Ok boys time to get up and eat, then after you eat Billy you have to get back to your room and get ready for the doctor's visit then your physical therapy." She said smiling at us.

"Oh man do I have to, I want to stay here and talk with Darren some more?" I asked. She just smiled.

"Yes, you have to." She said, then an idea popped in my head.

"Nurse Gene, if the doctor says it's ok, can Darren come to physical therapy with me?" I asked.

"Yeah can I please?" he begged, Nurse Gene just laughed.

"I'll check with the doctor while you two eat." With that, she dropped off our food then left. After we were finished eating Darren helped me into the bathroom helped me on the toilet the funny thing is that I didn't feel embarrassed with him helping me or seeing me naked. After I peed and got my clothes back in order Darren took his turn and peed right in front of me. After we finished we washed our hands then went out to the room to wait on the nurse.

A few minutes later Nurse Gene came back in.

"Alright boys I talked with the doc and after you go and change and take care of your bathroom business then you two can hang out together and he can go to your PT with you." She said smiling. We smiled right back.

"Cool but Darren helped me to the bathroom so I don't have to go. You want to come to my room and help me change and wait with me?" I asked Darren.

"Yeah." He replied. I smiled at him and he smiled back. He helped me to my room and the nurse was going to help me change but he talked her into letting him do it. She agreed and after the door was closed he helped me change. We sat on my bed and waited for John to come and take me to my PT. Today was going to be a good day.